Bradley planning to pound Provodnikov tonight

"I am looking to make a statement in this fight and I am looking to damage this guy. I am looking to put this guy out!"

By Karl Freitag
Photos: Chris Farina/Top Rank

The aftertaste of his controversial win over Manny Pacquiao is still bitter for WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley. “I don’t get any credit after the Pacquiao fight, whatsoever,” says Bradley, who will return to the ring tonight for the first time since dethroning Pacman nine months ago when he defends his belt against Ruslan Provodnikov at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Caliiornia.

Timothy feels the fans, the press, the WBO, even his promoter haven’t given him the credit he deserves for beating Pacquiao. “People talk about me, my style, that I’m boring. Some people talk about my wife, my kids. People sent me death threats after the fight because I won undeservingly. I should have given the belt back. A lot of different things went on. I can talk all day about things that people said about me. But it doesn’t matter – none of these people are going to get in the ring with me. People can say whatever they want – it is a free country – so I am going to say whatever I want, when I want to say it and how I want to say it. Those people don’t know me at all. If you get to know me, if you know what I go through, how I train and you still talk crap about me, then you have the problem. No one knows what I go through to prepare for my fights. People need to sell papers I guess. I am the nicest guy you will ever meet on the street, ever!”

Life has changed after the Pacquiao fight

“The Pacquiao made me grow as a person and as a fighter and it made me realize who was important and who was not important and what is important in my career,” he stated. “What is not important is what people’s perception of me is. Everyone has an opinion and they can say whatever they want to say but it’s not going to stop me from what I do and that’s kick butt in the ring. What’s important is my family and I pay attention to my career and stop worrying about everyone else’s career and what they are making. I just need to focus on my career and my life. Stop reading all this garbage that all these people are writing about me. I stopped reading columns – I used to read it all the time now I don’t read it at all.”

Super motivated to win all his fights decisively from now on

“EVERY FIGHT from here on out is a statement fight, especially coming after the Pacquiao fight,” Bradley commented. “I am looking to make a statement in this fight and I am looking to damage this guy. I am looking to put this guy out. I don’t want to go 12 rounds with this guy. The longer he stays around the more confident he will get so I want to get him out of there as soon as possible.

“I’m not worried about his power. He needs to worry about my power. I am not worried about anything he is going to bring. He is going to stand in the middle of the ring. I know exactly how to beat this guy – outbox him. Provodnikov has to worry about me, I am not worried about him!”